Russian censorship agency threatens total block of WhatsApp citing terror links

Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor is threatening to block the WhatsApp messenger service if it fails to comply with Russian law, arguing that its services are being used for “organising and carrying out terrorist activity” in Russia as well as for defrauding Russian citizens, news agency TASS reported on Friday.

“WhatsApp does not comply with requirements aimed at preventing and suppressing crimes committed on Russian territory,” the regulator added, apparently referring to WhatsApp end-to-end encryption, which prevents the Russian security services from accessing messages sent via the app.

The regulator added that while punitive measures taken against WhatsApp to date have been gradual — with the voice call feature being blocked in Russia since August and telecom operators instructed since October to block text messages sent to verify new WhatsApp users — it will consider a full block if the messenger continues to disregard its demands.

“The restrictions are being introduced in stages, allowing users to switch to other messaging apps. We recommend switching to national services,” Roskomnadzor added, referring to the recent rollout of state-backed messenger app MAX, touted as a Russian-developed alternative to WhatsApp and Telegram.

WhatsApp has a significant user base in Russia, with around 97 million users in a country of 143 million people. Though it avoided being blocked during the Kremlin’s first wave of online censorship that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it has been increasingly targeted in recent months amid a Kremlin’s crackdown on foreign-owned messenger services.

Following the blocking of its voice calls in August, WhatsApp pledged to “keep doing all we can to make end-to-end encrypted communication available to people everywhere, including in Russia” and stressed that the messenger “defies government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication”. WhatsApp has not yet commented on Roskomnadzor's latest threats.